Will you be with me?
by Loving-Chakra
Summary: Will is stuck in a seemingly never ending drought of depression. In an effort to save himself from inner turmoil he goes to see his Uncle Regis and Cousin Sabrina. This story may change to a M rating later on.
1. Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harvest Moon, though it would be nice to;_;**

I felt alone and detached from the world. Many times I would look into the mirror and not recognize the person staring back at me with his hollow eyes and grave frown. This upset me greatly. There was something wrong with me and I think my parents saw that something was wrong with me too, so they instructed that I should go out and see the world, and that's what I did.

I sailed across the world and saw many interesting things and met many exotic people, but not one person and not one place could keep me anchored. Most just seemed interested in the money I had. Women would try to scheme their way into my bed, hoping that my morals were loose enough to have their way with me, to chain me with a child. They wanted the wealth, that's all. When I realized this I became more distraught and often drowned in the tears of my sorrow.

What I wanted more than anything at the time was a companion. I wanted someone to hold me and tell me that they will never leave me, to say 'I love you' and mean it. Out of despair I turned to the one person that might give me some solace, my cousin Sabrina who lived with her father on Verdure Island. It sounded like a nice enough place to visit, after all, my parents had encouraged me to go see the world.

I remember when I first gazed at the beauty of it all. The sound of the ocean crashing on its own waves coupled with the wind softly caressing my face filled me with inner piece the likes of which I hadn't felt in the longest of times. "Will!" I turned my attention to the voice who sounded a lot like Sabrina. It was. I could hear the sand shifting as she trudged her long skirts across the sands to greet me. Instinctively I plastered on a fake smile and met her halfway.

"Good morning fair cousin of mine; I didn't expect you to grace me with your presence so early on this fine morning." My cousin's natural response has always been to blush. She did so then, confirming that she was very much the same cousin I had grown to love so much.

"Oh! Um…It was no trouble really! I get up this early every morning. Actually, most people on the island are early risers, especially the new farmer, Chelsea. She's amazing! She gets up just when the sun is rising to do all her farm work and when she's done she comes into town and says hello to everyone. Actually, she and I have been spending a lot of time together. I think it's safe to say that we've become good friends."

My cousin's face reddened further, probably recalling how wonderful this Chelsea person is. "That's great to hear", said I. "Maybe I will get to meet this lovely maiden while I stay here. But I would also like to greet the other residents of this island too, of course. For now I would like to meet Uncle Regis, if he isn't too busy that is."

She nodded in approval and started walking. I followed her after taking one last glance at the ocean water, noticing that a bit of it lapped at my feet.

**Author- There is more to come soon. If I had to estimate it will probably be within a day or two. Also, Chelsea will be appearing soon. And I know that my paragraphs are incorrect, but I feel that spacing it like this will make it easier to read. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Have a pleasant day!**


	2. Meeting

The sunlight began to creep its way into the peaceful face of Verdure Island's one and only farmer, Chelsea. Once it reached her eyes, coupled with the sound of birds chirping, she then proceeded to stretch and yawn before crawling out of bed along with her faithful companion, Pilot, who always slept in his master's bed.

Chelsea scratched behind his ears. "Good morning boy. Sleep well?" The dog then stretched and yawned before jumping out of bed to go about his business. Chelsea chuckled. "That looked familiar. Heh! I've got a copycat on my hands!...Err- Um- I suppose it would be copy dog in this case."

The farmer opened her front door and stepped out, barefooted, to test the weather for today. "Just as Taro said," mumbled the girl. "It's a hot day today." She started doing this ever since she saw that Taro's weather predictions were always correct. Really it was a blessing in disguise because it saved her from having to guide her animals back into the barn in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Summer had come and brought the warm weather along with it. This left the farmer no choice but to wear as few clothes as possible without sacrificing too much of her modesty. With the weather in mind she quickly ate breakfast and brushed her teeth before donning a yellow tank top with a loose pair of light blue, baggy shorts. To finish the ensemble, she fitted a bandanna over her sloppy pigtail followed by work boots. She took a look at herself in the mirror, smiling at her reflection before grabbing her sack and heading out the door to start the day's chores.

A stereo system vibrated throughout most of the farm as Chelsea began to till her soil in preparation for buying seeds suited to summer this afternoon. When she began working at the farm Chelsea was dirt poor and barely able to feed herself and Pilot. For many Seasons she had to live off what she could find, not daring to eat her own crops. Thankfully she didn't always have to eat off of nature's carpet; she had made some good friends on Verdure Island that gave her meals from time to time. She especially enjoyed taste testing Pierre's cooking. The little man was always going on about food and was happy to find someone who would regularly try his meals.

Sweat trickled into the farmer's parted lips as she smiled. Her work for the day was nearly complete. All she had left to do was to go into town and buy some seeds. Afterwards she could enjoy herself by visiting some of the folks on the island.

With sweat still clear on her person, Chelsea began her journey into town.

It was well into the afternoon. Most people around that time could be seen eating their lunches and chatting with others. She particularly noticed Pierre chatting enthusiastically with Natalie about something. Chelsea frowned a bit. She and Natalie had never really gotten along. Don't get her wrong, Chelsea was always nice and respectful to others, but Natalie seemed more content with glaring at her than anything else. Seeing how different she acted with Pierre might have been the cause for callous remarks and glares. Perhaps Natalie had simply misunderstood their relationship for Chelsea and Pierre were only friends. She had never held any romantic feelings towards her tiny blond companion. For that matter, Chelsea had never had much interest in any of the boys on the island. Sure she would have crushes. What girl doesn't? But she knew to never let anyone know about them, except for her latest companion Sabrina; she could tell Sabrina anything with confidence that the meek little woman would never utter a word to anyone else.

"Speaking of Sabrina…" Chelsea nodded and smiled to herself. After she bought her seeds she would go and visit Sabrina. By now she was probably taking a stroll by her house like she always tends to do in the afternoon.

Chelsea definitely wanted to have a chat with Sabrina now. At random she decided to give Chen a fish she had recently caught as a gift; he did not appreciate that. The glare that he gave her sent chills up her spine. She had never seen someone upset with her like that…Chelsea started to tear up just thinking about it. She would have to make up for her blunder tomorrow.

All of a sudden a wild winy erupted. She looked up and saw something that must have come straight from a fairy tale. Before her stood a gorgeous white horse, and atop that horse was…she didn't know who that was, but he was very attractive with features just as light-colored as the horse.

Pale blonde strands of hair blew in the wind. He had on a nearly completely white outfit that she would have found odd if any other man on the village chose to wear it, but he pulled it off brilliantly.

His eyes met hers, wonderfully blue, like the ocean. He smiled, though it didn't seem genuine. He seemed upset.

"I bid you greetings" said the man. Chelsea sniffled, trying to hide her earlier tears from this stranger, but it didn't seem to work because he frowned. "Oh, let me get off my horse first." Once he was off his horse she saw that he was much taller than her. If Chelsea had to make a guess this man was probably taller than Vaughn.

"Why are you upset dear maiden? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no, no! It's really not that big a deal." She could feel her face heat up. No one had ever displayed such gentlemanly qualities. She was a bit stunned. He nodded. "I will not pry as it seems you are uncomfortable with me. Do you reside in this village?"

"Yes I am." She smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Chelsea the resident farmer it's nice to—uh."He didn't shake her hand like she thought he would. Instead he gently took the hand in his and raised his lips, barely brushing against the skin. "My name is William Terris Louis Andrew Carrick Jonathan Dredge Hams Reading Roger Southwark Alnwick Plymouth Junior Regison 111."

The farmer smiled nervously at the thought of having to remember his name. Sure she made a habit out of remembering every person she accustomed herself with, but she wasn't so confident that she could remember that mouthful of a name. "It's beautiful."

"A bit of a mouthful though, is it not? Worry not. You may call me Will."

He took the words right out of her mouth. Thank goodness though.

"If that's what you would like me to call you. Are you staying here long? You must have arrived recently. I would like to think that someone would have told me if anyone new had come along."

"Yes. You are correct dear maiden. This is my second day on the island."

"I hope I'm not being too forward, but what brought you to Sunshine Islands?"

"Father has told me to see the World. So I've traveled this way and that. These islands suit me well. I should think I'll be staying for a spell. As fate would have it a relative of mine lives here."

So he didn't know how long he was staying. Somehow that saddened her. She brought herself in to focus. Someone on these islands was his relative? "Who?"

Will smiled, looking somewhat embarrassed. He ruffled his hair and stated, "Regis is my uncle."

"I never would have thought that Regis was your uncle! You two look nothing alike."

"Yes, I get that a lot when I tell people."

Suddenly, Will checked his watch. His face melded into concern "I'm sorry, but I have to attend to something. It was lovely to meet your acquaintance and I hope to see you around the island. Farewell lovely one!" Chelsea waved as Will began to climb back atop his horse. She began to walk, intending on still going to see Sabrina. "Wait a minute!" Chelsea suddenly yelled. This surprised Will who was still within hearing distance. He galloped over to her, his face concerned. "What is wrong Chelsea? Did you need to tell me something else?" Chelsea blushed, realizing that her sudden burst of realization carried in the wind of the world instead of the endless space of her mind. "How embarrassing!" she whispered. She glanced up at Will before quickly staring at the ground. She mumbled, "I just realized something."

"And what is that something of which you just realized?"

"Sabrina. Your related to Sabrina, right? It didn't click until I started thinking about her just now. I was actually going to visit her before I ran into you."

Will smiled. "Yes, Sabrina is my cousin. I just realized something as well. Sabrina has already mentioned you to me along with several other residences. I should have recognized you by the way she so fondly described you." Chelsea blushed. She really wasn't used to being so blatantly flattered by a man. Usually the ones she knew would jokingly speak that way, but Will was being sincere. Will then arranged his horse and himself till he was by her side. "Well now, my lady, if you are going to see Sabrina then you might as well go with me. I was just about to head that way myself.

As they walked along both felt an inner piece that they could not explain. Chelsea's mishap with Chen was temporarily forgotten and Will, with is inner turmoil of loneliness, didn't feel so lonely at that moment.

**Author's Note: Whelp! The second chapter is complete. I'm not sure how this story is going to turn out or how long it will be, but I do have some ideas that I definitely want to use.**

**Have a pleasant day!**


	3. Walking

**Author's Note: I did notice a good bit of grammatical errors and choppy writing style with the last chapter that I do want to apologize for. In the future I will try to proof read a more diligently.**

It turns out that Sabrina wanted to invite Will to dinner, but she wasn't expecting Chelsea, though it didn't seem to matter too much to the shy little woman. She figured that her father liked Chelsea enough to invite her without asking; she was right.

He couldn't help but take notice of how comfortable and happy Sabrina and Chelsea were with each other. He would be lying if he didn't admit that he wasn't at least a bit jealous of their friendship which filled the dining hall with such a merry atmosphere. Uncle Regis also seemed grateful, joining into their conversation on favorite shiny earth jewels. Will also wanted to join the conversation, but didn't want to intrude; instead, he contented himself listening politely.

"What is your favorite shiny rock Will? I bet it's a diamond like your good 'old Uncle Regis here." He did not expect to be included. He looked up at Chelsea who asked the question. Her eyes were shining with mirth, politely waiting for an answer. Why did he suddenly feel hot under the collar as he made eye contact that steadily increased in awkwardness, causing dear Chelsea's cheeks to turn a lovely shade of red? He stumbled for an answer. "Actually- Um- I do not really have one." The farmer tilted her head in a cute manner, her mouth forming into an 'oh.'

"Why not?" asked Chelsea.

"Well, you see Chelsea, I do not fancy the commonly tantalizing allures of stones."

Regis held the most shocked of faces. "I do not believe what I'm hearing! How could you not adore what your dear uncle works so hard to extract for people?!" Will averted his eyes to his lap, bunching his hands into fists and biting his tongue to keep his mouth shut. He felt so ashamed at that moment, but he was never one to lie, especially to his loved ones. Chelsea chimed in, "Now Regis, I'm sure that Will meant no offense when he said what he said. He was just being honest. I'm sure that a great man like you can accept that, right?" After a few excruciatingly silent moments uncle Regis let out a sigh. "You are right my dear. I'm sorry for lashing out like that my boy."

Will gave Chelsea an expression that translated along the lines of 'thank you so much for mending things.' She smiled and mouthed, 'you're welcome.'

"If I remember correctly, Will, you aren't very fond of expensive things." Will smiled, pleased that his favorite cousin remembered. "You are correct Sabrina. I prefer simpler things liked flowers or sweets. And you are forgiven Uncle Regis. I really did not mean to offend you in any way."

The rest of dinner went well. All four adults enjoyed themselves immensely, going from topic to topic enthusiastically. But it was eventually time for non-residents of the Regis home to leave after bidding both a safe walk home.

They stood outside the well-lit front Regis' home. Chelsea shifted from foot to foot, anxious to leave so that she could check up on her little farm buddies. She smiled up at Will. "It was nice to get to know you Will. I'll have to visit you sometime soon when my farming duties permit it that is." Will turned to fully face her, his face clear with delight. "I would very much so love that my lady. I have enjoyed your company tonight."

Chelsea nodded and started walking towards her farm, but a soft, large hand stopped her. She looked up questioningly at Will. "Did I forget something Will? Or did you want to tell me something else?" For a moment the tall male simply stared at her hand in his. They were rough and small in comparison to his and nothing like the countless other hands that he had kissed or held. Those hands had been powdered, lotioned, and perfumed to flawless perfection, unrealistic.

"Will?" He cleared his head from wandering and addressed Chelsea. "I apologize for grabbing you so suddenly, but I cannot with all do conscious let a maiden to walk home alone, much less in the dark. Please let me escort you home."

Chelsea honestly thought that she would be fine walking home by herself. She knew all the people on Verdure Island. None of them would ever think of harming somebody intentionally, but she figured that Will was still new and didn't know people very well yet. "Okay." She firmed her grasp on his hand, permitting him to walk beside her. Once by her side she loosened her hand, placing it once again at her side. For some reason the man at her side didn't want to lose her touch. It felt nice.

After passing a few homes Will wondered where everyone was. No one else was out tonight. Out of curiosity Will glanced at his watched and saw that was a few minutes till nine, no wonder. "I hope that you are able to get up in time to see to your farming duties Chelsea. I didn't realize the time."

"It's okay Will. Don't worry about me. I'm a tough girly…with a great dog that loves to be my alarm clock!" Will laughed. "I suppose that's a good thing."

"You bet!"

They soon made it to the front of Chelsea's home were Pilot proceeded to greet his master with affectionate kisses. She laughed, scooping up the tiny dog in her arms. "You sure did miss me. Didn't you Pilot?" The happy fellow barked in response. Chelsea then turned to Will, extending her dog to him. "Wanna meet my buddy here? He's friendly."

Will attentively stretched his hand out to pet the dog, but got bitten instead. Chelsea quickly retracted her dog away, shocked. "Bad Pilot! How could you do that?" She quickly put her dog into her home and shut the door before going to check on Will who was cradling his hand, utterly stunned.

"I'm so so so sorry Will! I honestly don't know what got over him."

"It is alright Chelsea. I should have been gentler."

"Silly man" muttered Chelsea. She gently pulled his hand towards her front lights to see what damage had been done. Thankfully all she could make out was a nasty imprint of teeth. No flesh was broken as she rubbed her thumb over the imprint.

She recalled that as a girl her mother would place a gentle kiss over any boo boo to make it feel better, claiming that her lips had healing powers because they were powered by love. So without even thinking Chelsea brought his warm hand to her cool lips, giving it a small peck before proceeding to rub her thumb over the imprint again. While these ministrations were occurring, Will's expression changed from shock to peaceful, finding the farmer's ministrations soothing. But she soon realized that what she was doing was inappropriate, especially with a man that she barely knew.

She released his hand. Blushing like mad, she apologized profusely. Will shook his head in amusement. "Do not apologize Chelsea. Your dog was simply being protective of his owner. I assure you that there is no offence on your part."

"But-"

"Chelsea, it is fine. I hope to see you around the island. Good night." He made a quick escape before Chelsea could finish saying what she wanted to say. He did not want her to apologies for doing what she did to his hand. That had felt wonderful. His heart fluttered just thinking about it. From that day on the prince couldn't keep his mind off of the farmer.

**Author's Note: I hope that you all have enjoyed this chapter! There is more to come soon. I am going to make a conscious effort to update at least once a week, if not twice. **

**Have a pleasant day!**


	4. Talking

**A/N: So it seems that I am still not noticing all of my grammatical errors…Hmm. I hope there is less in this chapter. That and I also hope that this chapter's flow is better than the previous chapters. Enjoy!**

The world is bright. He lifts a hand to shade his blue eyes from the sun as he walks across the beach, contemplating the two weeks spent on Verdure Island. His first week on the island was pleasant enough. During that time he passed from place to place, meeting new people and getting to know them better. He found no one particularly offensive, however, some residents made him nervous to be around, Natalie and Vaughn in particular. He knew they were good people, just more introverted than others. He would try to get to know them, hopefully, without offending them.

The second week, however, was another story. The islanders had their own jobs to do and their own friends to do things with in their spare time. He had no doubt that people would be kind enough to allow him in their little circles, but he didn't want to intrude.

Most times he found himself wandering about the island till he eventually wound up walking along the area of sand beside his yacht. When there his mind would also be wandering, wandering to a dark place inside his mind that fed on melancholy thoughts. He detested lingering on them. Before too long it became routine to escape them by taking Arthur out for some exercise. It seemed to help.

He could hear the waves dancing along the shore line. He felt calm. He allowed his mind to drift for a moment or two, glancing from the beach to the village. By chance he spotted Chelsea chatting with Charlie and Eliza. The children were jumping up and down, tugging Chelsea down to their level and pointing at her bandana. Chelsea looked a bit frazzled, but eventually took her bandana off and handed it to Eliza. The two danced around her with glee before running off. Will wondered what had just transpired. 'Why did they need Miss Chelsea's bandana?'

Chelsea ruffled up her hair, shrugging her shoulders and smiling as she continued on her way to the little shack that Denny lived in. She looked up and noticed Will by his yacht. She smiled and waved. The prince's face felt warm; he was still not comfortable participating in waving. His parents never approved of it as they said it was rude to do so, but, not wanting to feel rude, he waved back before Denny opened the door and Chelsea disappeared from his line of sight.

He takes long strides till he's sitting on the edge of the pier, giving his legs a little time to rest. "Chelsea" he murmurs to himself. He'd seen her a lot during his first week on the island, always saying hello to everyone, just as his cousin said. But as of late he hadn't seen her much and she looked more tired than usual. He wondered if he should talk about it with Sabrina.

Ever since the Pilot incident, he had been thinking about the female farmer often. Her job intrigued him; her personality lured him. She always had a smile on her face and something nice to say to everyone. He couldn't count how many times he had overheard her flattering a resident of the island.

More than anything he wanted to talk to her again, to feel the same way he had felt when she tenderly held his hand, pecking it with the light touch of her lips. It was a simple act of kindness. He was sure it was not meant to entice his romantic senses, yet…

She felt so tired. She had finally finished today's chores, which seemed to grow more and more every day. She wiped some sweat from her forehead before turning off the booming radio and entering her house. She immediately headed for the bathroom, intending to wash her face before heading out to Nick's diner for a bite to eat.

She really had no energy to cook her own meals lately. Chelsea figured that since her income was steady, she could afford to eat out more often.

Not caring that her entire body was red and drenched in sweat, she said goodbye to Pilot before heading out the door.

The meal had worked wonders for Chelsea. She actually felt a little less tired. With nothing left to do she decided to head down towards the beach to watch the sunset. Maybe Elliot would be there; he liked going to the beach, especially to marvel at nature's beautiful sunsets. It would be nice to have a chat with someone who would respond back with actual words and not 'moo' or 'bah.'

She was a little disappointed to see that Elliot was indeed at the beach, but was currently conversing with Julia. "Those two have been getting cozier than normal," Chelsea muttered. As she sat down she managed to catch Julia looking at her. Chelsea smiled before pointing at Eliot who hadn't noticed her yet, and drew a little heart in the air before blowing kissy faces in her direction. Julia blushed and then glared at Chelsea before going back to her tête-à-tête with Elliot.

Chelsea chuckled a bit. Julia knew she was only kidding around. After all, Chelsea was notorious for embarrassing potential couples. It was so much fun.

"Maybe I'll have someone teasing me about a guy that I like someday. That would be nice." Chelsea then spent a few minutes listening to the ocean, allowing herself to sink into the warm sand, not caring if it would be hell to get out of her person when she took a shower later that night.

Just as Chelsea was about to drift asleep, she heard large amounts of sand shuffling along the beach accompanied by a winey. She opened an eye and saw that it was Will riding on his horse Arthur.

He was headed towards her. Chelsea got up, dusting as much sand as she could off of her. She hoped that she didn't seem too forward just going up and talking to him. Chelsea wanted to chat with somebody since she had spent most of the day at her ranch. That and she hadn't talked to him since Pilot bit him.

"Chelsea! Fancy seeing you here," Will said, in a cheery manner. "I hope I didn't startle you."

"No. You're fine Will. This majestic beast didn't spook me too bad. Right buddy?" Chelsea slowly stroked Arthur's mane, receiving a happy winey."

"I'm glad that Arthur likes you."

"I'm glad too," Chelsea said. "I just wish that Pilot could have behaved as well as Arthur. By the way I'm so sorry about that!"

Will shook his head and smiled. "Think nothing of it my lady. All is forgiven."

Chelsea pouted. "Are you sure? That bite looked fierce. Can I take a look at it?" This took Will by surprise, but he quickly recovered and allowed Chelsea to take his hand in hers which were covered in grains of sand and what might appear to be sweat. Despite this he still delighted in her touch.

Chelsea saw that the imprint of teeth was barely present on the prince's hand. She breathed a sigh of relief before letting go. "Thank goodness. It's almost gone. I feel a little bit better now."

Will smiled and after a moment of silence Chelsea interjected. "I might sound a little forward right now but would you like to sit with me for a bit?" Almost immediately Chelsea waved her arms frantically around and shouted, "Never mind! I'm so inconsiderate! Your outfit will be ruined if you sat on the sand. It looks expensive…" Will blinked his eyes wide with shock before laughing. It was light and rich at the same time. Chelsea marveled at the sound, making a note to hear it again someday. "You are very amusing dear maiden! I do not mind sitting on the sand if it means talking with a beautiful girl like you." He then abruptly sat down, patting the space next to him.

Chelsea, whose face was red, sat down, hoping that she wouldn't embarrass herself around Will again.

"So," Chelsea began, "I didn't expect for Arthur to be around by now."

"Yes," remarked Will. "I did send him home soon after I met you, but I received a letter from my parents telling me that Arthur seemed lonely. I can't return home just yet, so I had him brought over." Will looked a bit downcast as he was explaining.

Chelsea didn't like this. She absolutely hated seeing anyone upset around her. That's why she cried when Chen disliked her present. She had obviously upset him. But thankfully she stopped by his shop the next day to apologize and bring a gift of homemade strawberry jam. He loved the gift and apologized himself, explaining that he had a terrible headache that day which caused him to be generally grumpy. He then gave her a discount on some seeds for her next purchase.

Chelsea brought herself out of her thoughts to see Will still upset with his arms wrapped around his legs. Chelsea placed a hand on his knee, causing him to look up questioningly at her.

She smiled. "Cheer up Will! You get along so well with Arthur after all." That seemed to lift the sad atmosphere around him.

His cheeks became a light shade of red. "Yes, Arthur and I have been together since I was born. No matter what I do, and no matter where I go, we've never been apart. But he couldn't stay here on the islands…That's one of the reasons this journey was meaningful… I was going to do it alone." He looked at Arthur who was calmly at Will's side. "I'm sorry Arthur."

"You don't have to apologize Will, actually, I think you've made a bit of a mistake."

He seemed surprised. "I have?"

Chelsea gestured towards Arthur, saying, "I think that Arthur was just worried about you!"

Will titled his head towards Arthur. "Is that right, Arthur? Were you just worried about how I was doing on the islands?" Arthur let out a great big winey in response. Will laughed. "I see… Thank you for your concern, Arthur. However, I'm doing quiet fine here." Arthur braid in return. Chelsea giggled a bit at the strange thing that was occurring in front of her, actually… on second thought it didn't seem that strange to her at all. She talked to her animals just like Will was doing all the time. As Will stood up to pet Arthur Chelsea was glad that Will and her had something in common.

"You understood what Arthur was really trying to tell me. I think I'd like to spend some time alone with Arthur, and tell him about my time here. Thank you ever so much for clearing things up. I am in your debt dear maiden."

"It's no problem Will. I do it all the time with my animals, besides, I'm glad that I could help out!"

For a moment they stood, facing each other, as the sun slowly began to sink into the ocean. Will walked over to Chelsea and cradled her hands in his, lightly kissing them. He then looked into her deep blue eyes. For a moment he got lost in them. He eventually snapped out of it and straightened up.

"We'll be going now," he said. Will climbed on top of Arthur. Before he galloped away he told her, "I had a lovely time talking with you my lady. I hope we can do it again."

"Same here," replied Chelsea. Her heart, for some odd reason, started to beat frantically and only calmed down as she drifted off to sleep later that night.

**A/N: Whelp! I have been doing a lot of hand on hand action! Ha-ha! Hmmm…I'm still probably going to end up making this fic M-rated. In the past I have always done so, even if my now deleted stories were written crudely. Also, any loose ends in this chapter will be tied up in the next. Please have a pleasant day!**


	5. Embracing

**A/N: I got a review recently! Thank you for your comment person! **** It made me very happy. **

**If the writing style seems a bit weird then it might be because I was watching Lost in Austen while typing this up.**

**I hope it is to everyone's satisfaction. **

The last embers of a bleeding sun were quickly fading till street lamps took their glowing, misting light into the chilly dark air. Will was cold as Arthur trudged them home, but there was one place where Will wasn't cold; he licked his warm lips, still tasting Chelsea's sweat and tiny particles of sand. His face felt hot lingering on his conversation with the lively working girl. He wondered, for a moment, what it would be like to grace the dear maiden with his lips on her cheek. How lovely that would be. But doing so would imply a much more intimate knowing of said person. Unfortunately, Will knew that he and Chelsea weren't on that level yet. In fact, he could scarcely call her his friend. They barely knew one another. But he was determined to become a good friend of hers; she brought him joy and an inner peace that he had yet to experience. The only one ever able to come close to those feelings was Sabrina. Never mind his parents for the moment. They loved him. Yes. But they were always busy. And Arthur could only give so much comfort.

Hooves clacked onto the pier as Arthur and Will finally arrived home. The prince put his horse into the stable below and sought to perform all the tasks he accustomed himself to doing before going to bed. Regrettably he had to wash his face, effectively discarding any lingering taste of the woman dancing more frequently in his mind's eye.

While in bed he rewound their conversation. He wished it wasn't so brief. Upon further recollection he forgot to ask Chelsea about her bandana and her apparent fatigue. He supposed that his mind had been a chaotic whir when he spoke to her; actually, he was surprised that he didn't create some sort of social faux pas.

As he laid his hand on his stomach, he vowed that he would talk to Chelsea soon and see if there was anything he could do to ease the blight of exhaustion for the poor miss.

Guilty looking children with shiny tears in their eyes looked up at a flustered farmer. Within her hands were the discarded, soaking pieces of her notoriously worn bandana. "You guys! What the hay happened to my bandana?!"

Charlie spoke first. "We wanted to use it as a flag for our sand castle, but we were having so much fun that I guess we forgot about the castle for a while and did something else.

Elisa then interjected, "We came back to get it as soon as we were done but a stray dog had it between his teeth when we got there. We shooed it away with rocks and he eventually ran off. At least we got you your bandana. I'm sorry that it's all shredded and covered in holes!"

Charlie tugged on Chelsea's pants. "Please don't tell our parents! We're sorry."

Chelsea couldn't believe it. Anger quickly changed to concern. She bent down in from of the kids. "You guys. You should never have confronted a stray dog! I don't care about a silly old bandana when you two could've gotten yourselves hurt, or worse. Please promise me that you won't try and go do something dangerous like that again. I'm not upset with you anymore."

Charlie sniffled, "Does that mean you forgive us?"

"Of course I forgive you!" Chelsea grinned and ruffled their hair. "Go play okay? And if you see that dog again, go to the nearest adult. Okay? It's dangerous."

Both nodded and ran away across the bridge to Denny's Shack. "Maybe they're gonna try asking Denny for his bandana! Ha!" She started walking up to her farm to finish the day's chores, contemplating getting the children a package of bandana for their birthdays.

"Why would they want Denny's bandana Miss Chelsea? The children seemed very fond of yours a couple of days ago when I spotted you all from the beach."

Chelsea yelped and turned around, clutching her chest. But she realized that it was only Will. He looked concerned and walked up to her, his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright Chelsea?"

With a heart still pounding she spoke a breathy response. "I am. You just startled me is all. But I'm glad to see you. It's been a few days, yeah?"

"Yes it has. I did miss you during that time. There isn't much to do when one doesn't work. Do you mind me accompanying you back to your farm? I assume that's where you were heading?"

"Yes. I don't mind. Please do."

And thus Will and Chelsea walked together. They smiled and waved and the people that passed by and chatted when they weren't, one topic of discussion being the bandana.

When they were a few yards away from Chelsea's home Will knew that he had to voice his concern for Chelsea's tired look. Her walking pace was much slower than when her first met her. Shadows were under her eyes. A clear indication of sleep deprevation.

"I'm glad that you decided to walk with me. Talking to you makes me happy, but I do have a lot of work to do so-"

"Actually Chelsea I wanted to talk to you about work."

"Yeah?" Will's once happy face was now contorted in concern. It made Chelsea's happy mood wither a bit. When she first met Will she wasn't sure if she would be able to be his friend. It wasn't that he was rude or terrible to look at. She actually thought he was very handsome and his manners superb.

But they were so different.

He had soft, pale skin. She, on the other hand, had skin burnt from the sun with ruff hands from long hours spent laboring with tools in the soil. His hair was light and feathery and if she were to touch the strands, they would probably be beyond the feel of softest cloth. She consciously wound a finger around her own hair, frowning at the touch of her bristled tips. Not to mention he was rich. She was a struggling farmer.

"My dear Chelsea, you are a lovely girl and I hope what I'm about to say doesn't offend you. I should have said something earlier. You look tired. And I see that more so now than a few days ago. Can I assume that your work is becoming too much for one person?"

Chelsea didn't know what to say. She was simply shocked, shocked and hurt. She did acknowledge that it was the truth though.

It was tuff at first, but eventually she got the hang of farm work and for a while she was able to do it efficiently, but she bit off more than she could chew by sewing more seeds and raising more animals. She loved doing it, but she soon realized that it was just too much. But she was too stubborn to acknowledge it to anyone, especially Vaughn.

She wouldn't admit this to anyone but when she first saw Vaughn she fell for him, hard.

Chelsea had just scraped enough money together to buy her first farm animal, a chicken. She recalls running merrily to buy one, though instead of a kind plump woman at the counter she was greeted with a silver haired man with piercing amethyst eyes. She ran off the moment her feathery friend was in her hands, nerves she supposed, had gotten the better of her. Chelsea didn't even want to think about the lecture he gave her on animal care. That was horrid.

For many weeks she would walk by him on the two days that he was on Verdure Island and say hello, but he always grunted in response. It was very disheartening, but as time progressed he began to do more than grunt. He said hello. When she got enough money from selling eggs and her crops, she bought her very first cow. Vaughn was nervous about her buying one, but let her none the less since he hadn't heard of anything going wrong with her chicken and had in fact raised more. He accepted her money after giving her another lecture on the proper care of cows and promising to give her a sample of the milk.

She had blushed and agreed. She took care of Cutie Pie, her cow and had done so for two years. Chelsea loved her, and from Cutie Pie came Lady, Cutie Pies daughter. After a while longer Chelsea bought a sheep and then Chelsea decided to impregnate Lady. From Lady came an adorable little bull that Chelsea named Gulliver because he liked to travel all over her farm, making sure no animals strayed. In total she had two cows, four chickens, one bull and one sheep. Chelsea loved them all and they loved her. She could tell by the way the eggs and milk tasted. And from her sheep Loli came the most gorgeous of wool that she sold for a good profit.

But the work took its toll on her body. Cleaning their pens, gathering their food, taking their products, brushing their bodies, and then tending to her plants…It was a lot to ask of one person.

Vaughn had actually warned her about keeping so many animals. He sounded threatening when she told him about Lady Being pregnant. But Chelsea foolishy declared that she could handle the extra responsibility. It was to impress him. She thought that maybe if she became a successful rancher, then Vaughn would like and respect her more. She never did tell if it had worked. All she knew was that his tone was improving with her and they were just starting to become friends.

Will gave Chelsea some time to answer his question. She seemed deep in thought, but they eventually reached her front door. Will faced Chelsea. "Chelsea… You seem very upset. I'm sorry if I might have offended you, but I'm just worried. I don't want your health to be in danger."

Chelsea's throat felt tight and hot. She didn't know why, but tears started to bud and slip down her lashes. "I-I… I don't want to let anybody down. This island h-h- has prospered a lot b-because of me and if I g-give up then who- who is going t-to take my place?! What will I-I-I do?"

She was thoroughly crying. Will could tell that she had probably been suppressing her stress for a while now and he was seeing the release of it all. His heart ached terribly and he could barely breathe.

"Oh Chelsea."

Without thinking Will gathered Chelsea in a tight embrace, her sobs vibrating on his warm, wet chest. He hated seeing her like this. More than anything he wanted to see her bright and smiling face. At the moment he felt just as horrible as her.

Funny how that is.

Chelsea went from curling his shirt with her fingers to wrapping her arms around his torso. After a while her sobs subsided and she merely clung to him, breathing softly. Will allowed her to calm down before saying in a soothing yet melancholy voice, "Dear maiden. I detest seeing you so distraught. It also saddens me. Is there any way that I could be of assistance to you?"

Chelsea nibbled on her bottom lip. She would love for someone to help, but she would feel bad for asking, especially for Will's help. He probably wasn't accustomed to heavy labor or receiving money for doing said labor. He was rich after all.

"I can't ask you for help Will. I would feel bad."

Will was hurt to say the least. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with Chelsea while also being a part of something as meaningful as providing many products that the island uses.

"Chelsea, I want to help. Please let me help. I'll do anything so long as you show me how. It will be fun and you won't be as tired."

"But I don't want to bother you. I appreciate the offer. You are very much a gentleman, but no."

"Dear maiden. I have had nothing to preoccupy myself with since I inhabited this lovely little island. I do not have anyone to talk to during the day except for Arthur. Everybody else works. As you can imagine, I find myself a bit lonely. You would be doing me a favor by letting me help you. Please reconsider."

This was something new to Chelsea. She was always under the impression that Will was happy. She had never seen him very upset before. She started to reason that maybe allowing Will to help wouldn't be such a bad idea. He could do little things and work his way up to the harder things if he wanted to. She wiped her eyes and looked up at Will. She hadn't realized it before but Will and she were very close to each other. So close that she could see his clear blue eyes that were a few shades brighter than hers. Chelsea, embarrassed, detached herself from Will, choosing to sit a little way beside him on the ground. "If you put it that way then I would like some help, but only a little bit. Please. And I'm sorry for breaking down like that in front of you. I swear I've never done that before."

Will found himself to be utterly happy at the prospect of helping Chelsea. "It is alright Chelsea. What you have gone through must have been wretched. I can't imagine how busy you must be every day. I am glad to help."

"I am too."

Chelsea then dusted herself off and invited Will to stay for a little while and watch her work. She said that it would help him get a feel of how things are done. Will agreed and watched as Chelsea toiled away in the heat, occasionally inputting a little help himself.

Chelsea acquainted Will with her animals first.

Will was nervous, yet exited as he met every animal Chelsea owned. There were so many; he was starting to realize why Chelsea seemed exhausted recently.

Out of all her animals Will liked Cutie Pie the best. He fondly remembers how his fingertips glided along Cutie Pie's short fur and the elderly animal's moo in approval.

By afternoon both were profusely sweating. Chelsea's shirt clung tightly to her body, exposing her every curve. Will felt ashamed of himself as he lingered for a few seconds too long, looking from her drenched, bare neck to her lovely chest and strong looking legs; she was beautiful, he thought.

As they walked back to her house Chelsea couldn't help but admire Will for working so hard. He looked happier than she had ever seen him before too. It made her happy as well.

He had agreed to let Chelsea show him how to milk. From that he will tend to Cutie Pie's milking and brushing along with watering half of her crops. Chelsea thought it seemed like a good starting point.

She walked at a faster pace to catch up with Will, playfully bumping her shoulder with is. He smiled at her. "What is it Chelsea?" The farmer's eyes lit up as she once again thanked him for his help.

"I am glad to be of service."

**A/N: This chapter seems a little bit off from the others. But I hope everyone who is reading will hang in there. I hope I'm not moving too fast on their relationship. I had a habit of doing that in the past ^-^'**

**Maybe I'm moving too slow though…Hmm. **

**Have a pleasant day!**


	6. Growing

**A/N: Ooh! 2 reviews! I feel a little special :3 I really do appreciate every favorite, follow, and review. **

**Just so people know I do have a general idea of where this story is going. I've written a rough draft and have mapped out events that need to transpire in a particular chapter; however, I don't always go by that. For example, what happens in this chapter was supposed to happen two chapters ago.**

**I believe that's enough rambling for now.**

**Enjoy!**

_breakbreakbreak_

The cool wind swayed almost violently to and fro, allowing a much needed relief for the two individuals hard at work. Beads of sweat sprouted and slicked down their skin like a steady stream as the man milked an aged cow and the woman harvested her crops.

Music blared as per usual on the farm, giving the individuals a much needed boost in energy.

Will took a break to flex his fingers. While doing so he gazed adoringly at Chelsea from across the field. She was a hard worker and he admired her so much for it. More often than not he caught himself staring at Chelsea without purpose; he simply wanted to see that she was still there and not a dream conjured up to cure his lonliness.

Chelsea happened to look up, catching Will by surprise. His face grew hot as he quickly went back to work. He mentally scolded himself, realizing that these feelings were getting out of hand quickly. Each time she caught him staring was like a nick to the heart. He imagined it was a bruised and bloody mess by now. To be honest he was absolutely terrified of scaring Chelsea off. When she caught him he would gaze back at her and notice an intense look of concentration on her face coupled with a frown; he detested it.

To his relief one of Chelsea's favorite songs erupted into the air. From his place in the opened barn he could clearly see her eyes shining in mirth and her lovely lips curving into a grin. She pumped her fists into the air, clumsily allowing a vegetable to slip from her grasp. She blushed heavily, realizing her mistake and plucked the item up, examined it, and then placed it into a basket with the others. She looked over at Will and made eye contact. She bashfully waved a hand and shouted, "No bruises! It's fine!"

"Wonderful!" Will yelled back. Chelsea laughed and went back to harvesting crops while swaying her hips and lip sinking to the song.

Will placed a new bucket under Cutie Pie's teats and continued to milk with firm yet gentle hands. He tried to hold in a laugh as Chelsea continued her odd dancing. She was so full of life and fun; he really revered her for it.

The day passed quickly and before either of them knew it the chores were done and they were panting under the shade of a tree with their feet soaking into the ocean that surrounded her property. They occasionally sipped on strawberry water as they rested in comfortable silence.

After a while Chelsea turned to Will and said in a gentle, mirthful tone, "Thank you for helping me so much."

"Lovely one, you do not have to say that every day. You know that I am always happy to help." Chelsea's eyes squinted and she growled playfully.

"I may not be much of a lady but I do try my best to be a good person. And a good person should always say thank you."

Will chuckled at the girl's playful nature and patted her gently on the head as if she were a dog. Without realizing it she leaned into his hand, enjoying the gentle, relaxing prickles it gave her. Though Will's hand soon retracted, leaving Chelsea wanting more, but she quickly did away with such thoughts. If he had continued it wouldn't have been appropriate anyway.

Even though Will had become more relaxed in her company, she still needed to take his being a gentleman into consideration and try not to make any touching last for too long.

Just the thought of touching brought fond memories of other instances.

Several faces popped into her head instantly. Pierre, Elliot, Denny, and Vaughn; she had enjoyed all of their brief instances of physical closeness. A hand placed on a knee or a friendly hug when feeling blue. It gave her a warm feeling that was instantly followed by guilt, regret for allowing herself to think of them in that manner. She supposed those memories weren't fond all of the time. Most of those crushes were non-existent now. She chanced a look at Will; she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't growing fond of the prince resting beside her. His eyes closed with a peaceful little smile on his face.

She took a moment to note how different he looked now than when she first met him. He had been graciously been offering her aid for about a month. In that time the sun had drastically changed his features. His hair was so light that it almost appeared white. Chelsea worried that his fair complexion would give him sunburn, but to her surprise the prince's delicate looking pale skin slowly ebbed to bring new, darker melanin. Sometimes she would look at him in amazement of how much he changed over such a short time.

Even his clothing style changed. With some assistance from Chen, Will purchased clothes that were more suitable for farm work. He was normally seen sporting a pair of jeans with a simple t-shirt.

Chelsea giggled recalling the first day she saw Will in his new clothes.

"What's so funny dear maiden?"

"Oh! Nothing in particular," Chelsea said as she splashed her feet around, causing ripples upon ripples to form and spread in the water. Will sat up a little straighter, his head tilting to the side with a ghost of a smile on his face. "Come now," said he. "I would love to hear about what you find so amusing."

"Really?"

"Really," replied Will.

"Alright then, if you must know I was recalling how uncomfortable you looked when I first saw you with more normal clothes on."

Will chuckled and rested his hands on his chin. "Yes. I think I remember you laughing oh so cruelly as I uncomfortably waddled over to the barn."

Chelsea then chided in, "Well, at least you got apology cookies out of it. I felt so bad after I stopped laughing. At least they're a bit more comfortable to wear now. Am I right?"

"You are correct. They feel fine now, but not nearly as much so as my former attire."'

Chelsea blew a piece of hair away from her face and responded, "I guess so. I have never tried any of you clothes before so I'm not sure about that one."

The farm girl noticed a blush creep on Will's cheeks. "It would be unfitting of a maiden such as you to wear the attire of a man. In any case my clothes would not fit you. I am much taller and bigger than you."

A burst of laughter erupted from Chelsea. She wiped away drops of tears from her eyes before saying, "Still such a gentleman! Oh wow."

"Dear Chelsea, I do realize my physical appearance has greatly altered, but who I really am on the inside never will."

Chelsea hummed in approval. "And I hope that never does change. I like that you're a gentleman. You know I'm just teasing, right?"

Those blue eyes locked on her. There was a hidden depth within them that Chelsea could not quiet grasp, but it held meaning. "I know lovely one. That is what I like about you."

Her heart skipped a beat, her breath temporarily stolen. Chelsea joked around with a lot of people on the island. She loved teasing because it was a part of her and somewhere deep inside she acknowledged that it was her way of making sure people knew how much she cared for them. Most people responded well to the harmless jabs, but no one has ever outright said they enjoyed it, not even Sabrina. She was truly touched.

"Chelsea?"

"Hmm?" the girl remarked, once again lost in her own mind.

"You seemed to have left the living world for a moment. Is everything okay?"

The girl snapped out of thoughts, embarrassed that Will witnessed her staring off into space like a ninny. "Sorry about that. You-You know I remember that time were you put your old clothes back on and I laughed at you because you looked so funny!"

Will laughed. It sounded just as light and rich as the first time she heard it. "Yes. How could I forget! If I recall correctly I received an exquisite cake for that."

_breakbreakbreak_

"Is this your oldest cow's milk?" asked the grumpy looking cowboy. Chelsea scowled and stuck her tongue out at the much taller man.

"Why can't you ever say her name? Is it such a bad one? Come on say it! Please?" wailed the farm girl.

The cowboy crossed his arms and glared. "No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

Exasperated, Chelsea raised her hands in an 'I give up gesture' before huffing out, "Fine."

"For what it's worth Chelsea, I think Cutie Pie is, well, it's a cute name," Sabrina shyly proclaimed.

The farm girl gave Sabrina a sincere smile. "Thank you."

Chelsea was grateful that Sabrina decided to join her that day in giving Vaughn a bottle of Cutie Pie's latest milk. For whatever reason, he seemed to like hers best.

She watched eagerly as he sipped the thick white substance. He closed his eyes for a minute, allowing a brief show of satisfaction to grace his face. And that was all Chelsea really needed. But today the harvest goddess must have been looking out for her because he smiled at her when he finished. "Good batch you've got here Chelsea. The best so far I believe," said the cowboy in his gruff, gritty, voice. She thanked him in a small, high-pitched voice.

"Yes. It's very good Chelsea," sighed Sabrina. Chelsea peered at the dark haired girl, wondering why she sounded so upset. She was about to ask when Vaughn spoke up in a concerned tone. "Chelsea I almost forgot. I've been hearing a lot of reports about a particularly nasty, wild dog lurking around the island. Make sure your barn and hen house are properly secured. It could easily kill all of your chickens, or even your larger livestock if you're not careful."

"Thanks for telling me Vaughn, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Gulliver will watch after them all too. Don't worry about me!"

Vaughn's expression became grim as he warned in a harsh tone, "Don't take what I'm saying lightly! I wish you were a little more serious about your job. It's not a joke. I remember you complaining about t the barn door giving you trouble. If I were you I'd have Gannon take a look at it before it's too late."

"Oh-Okay Vaughn. I'm sorry. Sabrina I've got to go. I'm sure Vaughn will walk you home. Be safe!" Chelsea rushed out of Mirabelle's shop before either caught her crying. She tried to compose herself as she walked to Gannon's house. When no one answered the door she ran over to her farm, eager to be somewhere were her tears and sobs couldn't be heard by any human ears.

Sobs and cries slowly subsided to whimpers and sniffles. Pilot whines and stayed curled into his master's stomach as afternoon turned into evening. When she could no longer see, Chelsea dragged her feet into the house and went to bed.

For a long time all she could think about was how horrifying Vaughn was, though she supposed that he was right to criticize her. Maybe she shouldn't joke so much, especially when it came to her job. He must hate her now. Paltry tears quickly trickled down her cheeks to absorb into her pillow as she silently feared that she would never gain the handsome cowboy's affection, no matter how many bottles of milk she gave him.

Feeling utterly downcast she forced Vaughn out of her mind, instead allowing her mind to think of something comforting, clear blue eyes and feather light hair. She then pictured two firm arms wrapping around her waist and an inviting chest to muffle her cries into. It helped that she had hugged him that way once. It felt nice. Hoping to calm herself enough to sleep she allowed her mind free access to toy with her vision. Those hands gently rubbed her back. His voice lulled her into security. Slowly the vision faded and sleep claimed the tired girl.

_breakbreakbreak_

Will woke up in the early hours of the morning, panting heavily. For a moment he didn't know where he was. He looked around his room bathed in the moon's glimmer and realized that it was just a dream. Though looking down he became shamefully aware that the dream had affected him in a most guilty, appalling way.

His phallus seemed to tauntingly shine the brightest in the moon's glow. He gritted his teeth in shame and seethed into the dark, "I am so sorry dear Chelsea. To have thought in such a way about you is not forgivable, not that you will ever know."

He laid down and tried to calm his mind, hoping that the problem would go away, but his thought's betrayed him. He kept picturing her body melting into his in the most perfect way. Her lovely lips gliding against his own, hands caressing everywhere; he had to stop!

The sheets flew off the bed as he quickly padded to the bathroom, hoping that a shower would relieve him of his dilemma.

_Breakbreakbreak_

**A/N: There are some things to note, if you will.**

**I seem to write a good deal involving crying. Ugh… I just know there's going to be more of it too. Lol.**

**I wasn't expecting to go M-rated so very soon, but alas, here it is. And I still haven't put in what I wanted to yet! Next chapter for sure :3**

**I hope I have not offended anybody; I did warn everybody that this fic would probably go M-rated at some point and I have changed the rating just so you know. **

**Have a pleasant day!**


	7. Crushing

**A/N: This is really long! O_o **

Tired red eyes squinted up into the sky. Gray clouds loomed overhead, matching perfectly with the melancholy mood of the farmer who sluggishly went about her morning doing chores. She didn't bother to wait for Will to come; she didn't want to see him today, in fact, she didn't feel like being near anybody with the mood that she was in. The aggressive words that Vaughn spat at her remained in her tired mind. She sighed, feeling like she could never confront the cowboy again.

The girl gathered her dog into her arms and proceeded to walk out of her farm to see Gannon about doing some repairs on her barn. She checked them this morning and realized that the barn doors needed a good fixing; looking as if the lock on it would give out soon.

Pilot looked up worriedly at his master with shining eyes, almost as if he were about to cry. Instead he whimpered and snuggled into her cozy grey sweatshirt. In return the farmer snuggled into his warm fur and walked faster across the island, hoping that no one would confront her. She believed that a foul mood should be quarantined if at all possible, but then again… a nice vaccine from somebodies comforting words could also do the trick.

She instantly thought of Sabrina and Will. She really felt bad about the way she's been treating both lately. Chelsea hadn't talked to Sabrina in a week. Knowing the shy girl had no other companions other than the rare chats with Vaughn during her evening walks, she honestly felt guilty.

Will was on her mind more often than not. He was a true companion that never made her feel less about herself; she could tell him anything and he would reply with a warm smile and accepting words. She was truly grateful for all of his help.

A wandering thought presented itself to Chelsea. She felt that her mood could easily be lightened by him. Her cheeks tinted pink as she thought of how good a nice hug from him would be. "No!" she quietly said to herself with a determined voice. She believed that there was no way she should think of Will other than a friend. She acknowledged that forming feelings for the man with light hair and the gentle laugh would be setting her up for disaster. He was far too good for her in all ways; she just knew it.

Breakbreakbreak

The shower had helped some much to his relief. But the reaction from his dream still perturbed him; he had never had such deviant dreams before. It made him feel disgustingly lecherous. He was brought up to be a gentlemen and a part of that meant to be respectful to ladies, always. But his body was betraying him as well as his mind. Will helplessly wondered if he would always have these intense sexual feelings, or, heaven forbid, they would become stronger. He groaned, hoping that wouldn't be the case.

He got dressed and brushed a comb through his light strands of hair and then sat down to read a book until it was time to go help Chelsea, but his mind lingered. He wondered for what it seemed like the hundredth time, what it would be like to hold her possessively to his chest, to gaze at her smooth neck and plant gentle kisses along it just to watch her bloom with ripeness at his every touch.

With those thoughts came the stirring of desire that pulled from his lower regions. He sighed, having dealt with it just an hour or two ago. He wondered out loud, "Will my desire ever be quenched?"

Breakbreakbreak

Gallon stared at the little girl in front of him, well, to clarify she normally looked like a vibrant young women with all the confidence of a princess. Today was different though, she donned loose clothes from head to toe, all of a drab greyish color. Her hair was also loose and partially in her face. He was honestly worried about her. Her tired eyes blinked slowly as she clung to her dog, waiting for Gannon to work out all the intricacies of starting her repairs.

It was over with quickly and as she trudged up to the door Gannon couldn't hold it in any longer; he had to ask. "Missy, what's got you all down? You're normally so sunny an in high spirits."

The girl slowly turned around and gave the large man a half-hearted smile. "Oh…I'm fine Gannon. Thank you for asking. I'm just a bit tired. That's all."

The older man frowned and nodded before she proceeded to walk out of his shop.

Breakbreakbreak

Instead of going straight home the farmer made her way to the beach close to Pierre's place. To her relief no one was there. She sighed and gently placed her dog on the sandy, yellow ground. Pilot was thankful for the break and ran around a bit, yipping and yapping while occasionally tugging on his master's pant leg, trying to cheer her up as best as he could. To his delight she managed a small chuckle before plopping down and making herself comfortable in the slightly chilling sand.

She willed her mind to stop all thoughts of Vaughn and listen to the waves rocking back and forth and the wind occasionally whooshing by. It was peaceful and allowed the farmer to drift into a light doze. Pilot observed this and went to sleep with her after a little more running.

Breakbreakbreak

He felt terrible. There was not going around it. He knew that Chelsea was a competent farmer. On the off chance that he checked, her animals always seemed happy and well fed, but he just couldn't help himself sometimes when it came to caring for animals. He would have given the same lecture to anybody else, but he still told himself that an apology was necessary, especially after his talk with Gallon. True to her word she was going to have the barn repaired. "Of course she would. She isn't an idiot! Why do you always have to be so hard on her?" The tall man often whispered that line to himself. Chelsea was one of the only few people who actually cared enough to ask how he make sure that he was happy. Sabrina also tried now and again, but she was so shy and he could barely hear anything she was trying to say to him. That perturbed him quiet a deal, though he supposed the black haired girl was alright in his books. At least she didn't bother him about anything trivial. That was one of the few things that he disliked about Chelsea, that, and her constant need to tease him.

He supposed it was midday; he really couldn't tell as the clouds were heavy and grey, not allowing for much light to seep through the cracks and shine on the earth.

Vaughn purposely slowed down as he approached the farm; he felt a little nervous about visiting the farm girl. Over the past months he had grown to like her and didn't mind her company. She never expected him to reply back. The best part about Chelsea was that it didn't take much to make her happy. All he had to do was smile and that would make her day. He hoped that it would be enough to make her happy again. For some reason, hearing that Chelsea was upset made his gut wrench. The man clad in all black realized that he never wanted Chelsea to be upset, especially not by him.

Breakbreakbreak

He was desperate. Will had looked all over the farm and could not find Chelsea. It wasn't like her to leave this early. As he checked each area he couldn't help but notice that the daily chores had been done. The cows had all been brushed and milked. The chickens were fed and the crops were tended to. As he left the farm he grew fearful. He wondered if this was her way of saying that Will was no longer desired at her farm. A dark and heavy substance placed itself in his throat thinking that he had stared at her too much or if he said something to make her upset.

He wanted answers.

Will left the farm and began his search for her.

If she really detested him then Will didn't know what he would do; he cared for her so much. Just the thought of her uttering 'I never want to see you again' made Will's chest tighten uncomfortably. 'I don't want to be without dear Chelsea. My heart would shatter otherwise.'

Breakbreakbreak

He could only describe it as chaos. Blood was everywhere. It coated the walls, the ground, and worst of all, the animals. The dog that Vaughn had warned Chelsea about was savagely tearing away at Cutie Pie's body. Chunks of red muscle were strewn onto the ground, making the floor sticky and slick simultaneously. He felt bile rush to his throat and anger poor into his veins. Without much thought Vaughn grabbed a pitch fork that was conveniently nearby and confronted the wild dog who looked up from his feast to growl and lunge at the intruder.

He didn't feel a bit of guilt twinge at his heart when he buried the sharp edges of the fork into the dog's back. It never stood a chance. Dark blood soaked into the hay right next to the old cow's corpse. The man breathed heavily, leaning on his weapon as he watched life trickle away from the dog's glassy eyes.

After some time the man surveyed the scene. Most of Chelsea's animals were huddled in a corner, mooing and baaing frantically as scared as could be. There was one animal not huddled in the corner, Chelsea's little bull. True to what Chelsea had boasted, it looked like Gulliver had put up a fight in trying to save Cutie pie. His leg was coated red as he lay close to the motherly cow, utterly exhausted.

"How could Chelsea abandon all of you?" the cowboy mournfully wondered. His mind was in a daze as he set about calming the animals before tending to the bull's injury. But rage steadily appeared.

Something else was also building up within him; he prayed that whatever it was wouldn't cause him to regret anything later. His teeth ground together realizing that he was never one to keep in what he truly thought.

The feeling welling up inside of him continued to rise as he dragged the two dead animals just outside the barn, too warn out to take them any farther.

He was quickly losing what little patience he had waiting for the farmer to make an appearance. "Where the hell are you Chelsea…" wondered Vaughn aloud.

Breakbreakbreak

She felt incredibly sluggish as she lifted herself from the sand. The dog yelped in protest, but reluctantly got up and followed her home.

Chelsea frowned and wondered how long she had been asleep. Judging by the darkening clouds it was around afternoon.

She felt very lonely despite her dog being right next to her. Before going to bed she would check on her animals like she always did. Their comforting calls always made her feel accomplished and happy. Perhaps spending some time with them will soothe the edges of her frayed nerves.

But for some reason she had this feeling that something was wrong. She reasoned that it was just her bad mood playing tricks on her weary mind.

She walked across the little bridge that connected her farm to the rest of the island and noticed a black figure emerging from her bard, dragging something on the ground. Her heart leapt to her throat when she noticed the figure had on a black cowboy hat, surprised, she yelled, "Vaughn!" The figure appeared to look up and then rushed over to her at an alarming pace.

To be honest she was scared. When he was halfway to her she saw the look on his face; he was most certainly upset. The dog noticed this and growled, placing himself in front of the stranger, daring him to come closer.

He did and the dog started yapping, but Vaughn paid no attention to this. He violated her personal space and then all hell broke loose.

"What the hell is wrong with you Chelsea?! Why weren't you watching your farm? What kind of a farmer just leaves for the whole dang day? If I were you I would give up on farming and go back to wherever you came from!"

Chelsea gaped at Vaughn, wondering why he was so upset. Tears instantly rushed down her face, her body trembled. She just stood there like a stone as Vaughn accused her of being a terrible farmer. He did berate her, also, with seasoned words.

For as long as Chelsea knew Vaughn, he had never used foul language with her, but now he didn't seem to care. And it hurt Chelsea more than she thought. Every word was like a chilled knife nicking at her trembling organs. She pleaded to the harvest Goddess that he would stop so she could run away and hide in a nice hole somewhere.

"Are you even paying attention to me?" spat Vaughn. The tearful, red-faced girl looked up with frightened eyes, but chose to say nothing, fearing that if she did there would be no stopping the onslaught of sobs trying to erupt from her tightly sealed, yet quivering mouth.

When she continued to say nothing, he painfully grabbed one of her wrists, pulling her towards the direction of her barn.

As they came closer to the red-roofed building she was finally able to make out the object that he was Vaughn was dragging. With her free hand she covered her mouth, stifling a shriek. Before her eyes was a dog with terrified, dead eyes, his back all bloody and shredded with distinct holes lined up perfectly with each other.

Breakbreakbreak

He was sure that he had checked just about every place on Verdure Island, but there was no sign of Chelsea. He also asked every person he could find, but the only individual who had seen the teasing girl today was Gannon. He couldn't express how grateful he was to the old man. Will left soon after, only managing a curt thank you before rushing out the door.

He ran down the road as fast as he could, hoping against all hope that Chelsea was home and safe, but for the life of him he knew something terrible was awaiting him.

Breakbreakbreak

She didn't want to hear it anymore. She sat next to poor frightened Gulliver, stroking his fur and listening to Vaughn yell all sorts of things at her while cleaning up the gory mess in her barn. He had stopped using as many curse words, but it really didn't make her feel any better. She just wanted him out of her barn and to never see him again or at least not to see him for a while. She briefly contemplated moving off of the island, but one look at her cows and sheep quickly chased that idea right out the door. She loved them too much to abandon them.

Even though Vaughn was accusing her of being a terrible farmer, she knew that what had happened didn't give enough cause to quit her profession. It was just a huge incident and it wasn't like she was the first farm that this ever happened to. But it didn't make her feel any better about the situation. She did indeed feel miserable about losing her first livestock, but at the very least Cutie Pie was getting on in years and would have left this world soon. Chelsea was just thankful that no other animals got severely wounded. Gulliver did have a torn up leg, but he looked fine to her otherwise.

Chelsea laid a gentle hand on Gulliver and cooed, "You are a brave and noble hero for trying to protect everybody. I love you. You know that, right?"

The bull licked a bit of her hand in thanks as if he could sense what she was saying.

"What are you standing around having me do all the work Chelsea?! Get up and help or I sweat I'll take these animals away from you if it's the last thing I do!"

Truthfully Chelsea understood why Vaughn was acting this way; he cared deeply for animals and would of course be upset, but this was a poor way of expressing it to her. His words were like salt on already freshly battered wounds and she still didn't know what to say to him. Vaughn looked wild and foreign to her. She wondered where her gruff yet lovable Vaughn was and when, if ever, would she see him again.

Instead of a reply she looked bravely up at him with fresh tears and shook her head, proclaiming no.

His nostrils flared as he shouted, "Get cleaning then!"

"What in the-What is going on here?!"

Vaughn and Chelsea turned their heads to the front of the barn were they saw Will, who looked shocked which quickly turned to anger as he stared at the two.

Chelsea hoped against all hope that the angry look on Will's face wasn't aimed at her. She had never seen him look so flustered before. She supposed that Cutie Pie was his favorite cow and would also say something disapproving to Chelsea. She glanced back at the poor cow that laid at the edge of the barn with flies crowding around it desperately. The sight made her sick. She looked pleadingly into Will's eyes with her red ones, hoping that he would take pity on her. But what happened next threw her for a loop.

Will walked straight to Chelsea and gently tugged on her wrist. She winced, causing Will to look down. Rage surfaced as he saw dark bruises that formed a ring around her wrist. Being more careful he guided her away from the silver haired man, protectively cradling her to his chest.

The sight of seeing Chelsea so distraught coupled with someone yelling at her set him aflame. No one has the right to treat a woman in such a vile way. He honestly believed this.

With the loudest, most threatening voice that Chelsea had ever heard Will demanded, "Get out of here now or I swear I will do something that I am sure to regret!"

She felt his chest shake from the sheer force of his cry.

Vaughn's eyes seemed to pop out of his head at the normally placid Prince's request. For a moment he became just as motionless and quiet as Chelsea was at the moment. It was then that he realized the extent to what he had done. He looked at the poor girl that he had abused with more than just words. He could see the dark bruising blooming from her wrist like a deathly bracelet. Guilt drowned at his heart. What had he done?

He had foolishly taken his anger for the tragic loss of a dear animal out on Chelsea, who had always taken care of her animals in the past. He recalled in the farthest corners of his mind how Gulliver was instantly calmed by the sight, sound, and touch of Chelsea which was abnormal for a frightened bull.

His mouth and hand flung forward a bit as if trying to catch the right words to say in order for things to be okay, but nothing did. An eerie silence thickened the air. That was when he left. He knew that nothing could be said to make the current situation any better. He did, however, manage to mutter an apology before quickly walking out the door.

Breakbreakbreak

She couldn't have asked for anything better than to be in his arms again. Full exhausted her knees buckled. Will managed to steady her. Surveying the scene before him, he noticed that, besides some blood still on the floor, everything else seemed clean and intact.

He hoisted Chelsea into his arms and carried her to the house, depositing her gently on the bed. Without thinking he stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back in a moment precious one. I'm going to check the animals and then come right back. Okay?"

Chelsea managed to nod before curling into a fetal position which made Will's heart shake; she looked small and pitiful she looked at the moment.

He made quick work of hosing off the barn floor of blood and making sure all the animals had food before securing the door as tightly as possible, noticing that the latch seemed faulty.

Will glanced at the lifeless cow that he had grown to love. Her entrails were half spilled out, her tongue hanging out with eyes wide in fright. More flies surrounded the poor creature, making Will feel horrible about leaving her out over night, but he observed that he had little choice but to do that. He feared that other stray animals would wander to chow on the two carcasses, thinking quickly he found a large tarp in a bin from the shed and tightly sealed each animal inside, hoping that it would suffice for the night. When that was done he let himself into the house and washed his hands of the bloody mess before checking on Chelsea.

Much to his disappointment she did not move. The bed dipped with the added pressure as he seated himself next to Chelsea.

She honestly felt better that Will was with her, but she disliked having him see her in such a state. A large, warm hand rubbed her back hesitantly, testing to see if she wanted to be touched in such a way.

With little thought she stretched towards the warmth, knowing that it would welcome her.

Will was pleased that his outlandish behavior wasn't denied. He proceeded to stroke her back, marveling in how her shuddering form seemed to calm under the touch.

"Will?" a shy voice questioned, muffled from the covers.

He loved to hear her speak and he was almost too eager to reply, "What is it my lovely maiden? Ask anything of me and I will try to make it so."

Chelsea's red eyes peaked from her bed to great concerned blue eyes, eyes that held not hatred or malice. She sighed and gently managed to sit up on the bed.

Will frowned as he noticed just how warn out she looked. Her eyes were baggy and skin appeared caked and pale. Her hair was a dark nest around her. He also observed the bits of flesh flaking from her dried lips; she was most likely dehydrated and yet, he still wants to kiss them and run his tongue along the pink of her mouth to water parched lips. It was then that Will realized no matter how she looked, she would remain the most beautiful creature he had ever seen or known.

She murmed, "You don't hate me…do you Will?"

He couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. "Of course I would never hate you Chelsea! Why would you ever think as lowly of me? Whatever happened today happened and that fellow Vaughn should never have yelled or used foul language with you. I'm sure that he over exaggerated whatever gruesome thing transpired, but right now that doesn't matter. All I want you to know is that I could never hate you my Chelsea. I-I…I am too fond of you to do so. Please believe me when I tell you this!"

Chelsea was stunned and more thankful than she ever was that day. Will didn't think of her in a terrible way and even liked her. She wondered…she hoped that her tightly seal heart would not break free and rush to this man who seemed so perfect.

**A/N: I wanted to write more but this chapter seemed long enough!**

**Have a pleasant day!**


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